Chapter 7

Then Conrad showed up at my office.

Midday, while the lobby was full.

His mother sat down on the floor and started crying.

"What have we done to deserve this — she's been given everything, the flat is right there for her to live in, and now she's dragging Conrad through court — trying to destroy him—"

People were watching. Some were filming.

I had a clear memory of five years of Conrad's voice saying: she's getting older, you know how mothers are, just be patient.

Be patient. So Patricia could cross every line, and I had to absorb it quietly, because that's what a sensible woman does.

Not this time.

"Patricia." I spoke in front of everyone. "You're welcome to cry. But let's be accurate. The flat wasn't given to me. I bought it. The money was mine. The deed was put in someone else's name. Your son isn't being destroyed by me — he's being held accountable by evidence."

She stared, apparently surprised that I'd simply said it.

Conrad moved close, lowered his voice. "Can we deal with this privately? Does it have to be in both our workplaces?"

"You should have thought about my workplace when you put your ex-girlfriend in my wedding flat."

"I'll give you the money back."

"And the flat?"

"The flat is—Harper's situation—"

"Again." I looked at him. "Always Harper's situation. Conrad, every time you say her name, I can see myself a little more clearly. Every year I spent in this. What was I actually for?"

He was silent.

Then, finally, something true slipped out.

"Stella. Don't do this. Harper's father is in debt. She has nowhere to go. If the flat's not in her name, she can't stay in the city. I was going to make it up to you after—"

"With my own flat."

"I would have compensated you."

"With what? Your conscience?" I looked at him steadily. "You don't have one."

His face hardened.

"Are you really going to take this all the way?"

"You were the ones who started it."

I handed my phone to the security guard.

"Could you call the police? There are people harassing me on the premises."

Conrad's mother tried to come for me again. Security stepped in.

As the lobby's audience grew, I walked to the lift without looking back.

The doors were closing when my phone rang.

Elliot.

"I'm in the lobby downstairs."

I blinked. "How did you know—"

"I came to pick you up." A pause. "And to see if anyone was still causing trouble in my client's case."

I stepped out of the lift to find Conrad being escorted toward the exit. Elliot was standing just outside the doors — dark suit, documents in hand, expression like ice.

Conrad saw him. His face shifted.

"Elliot. This is between me and Stella."

"Property fraud, forged documents, and harassing a party in ongoing proceedings are not private matters." Elliot didn't look at him twice. "Come here again and I'll recommend we add harassment to the claim."

Conrad looked at me with his teeth pressed together.

"Stella, are you going to let some outside party push me to this?"

Elliot spoke then, very level.

"To Ms Fairfax, you're the outside party now."

That sentence.

I genuinely wanted to applaud.

Conrad walked away, white in the face, with nothing left to say.

When they were gone, Elliot turned to me.

"Still standing?"

"Better than yesterday." I straightened. "At least better than the day before the wedding."

He nodded.

"Then we continue."